Only three people have been charged in connection with the violent gay bashing that took place in Philadelphia’s Center City neighborhood on September 11.
The news comes six long days after Twitter sleuths first identified suspects based on their Facebook check-ins in proximity to the crime, and was confirmed in a press release from the Philadelphia DA’s office today:
The District Attorney’s Office has approved arrest warrants in connection with the assault of a gay couple on the 1600 block of Chancellor Street in Philadelphia on September 11, 2014. The individuals to be charged are 24-year-old Philip Williams, 26-year-old Kevin Harrigan, and 24-year-old Katherine Knott. All three defendants are from Bucks County. Each will be charged with two (2) counts of Aggravated Assault, two (2) counts of Simple Assault, two (2) counts of Recklessly Endangering Another Person (REAP), and one (1) count of Criminal Conspiracy. Once charged the defendants will be arrested by police.
Though several witnesses and the victims identified eight assailants from a group of 12 aggressors, two men and six women, it appears as though only two men and one woman will be charged with crimes. Verbiage in the press release seems to indicate that the investigation is completely over, which means at least five other assailants managed to escape justice.
We originally reported that the attack, which stemmed from a confrontation between a large group of heterosexual assholes and two gay passersby at the corner of 11th & Chancellor in Center City, was unprovoked. Several witnesses described the event as a violent gang beating — both victims were hospitalized with severe bruising.
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Last Thursday, a Catholic high school basketball coach named Fran McGlinn was fired after his involvement in the attack was learned. Sources began reporting that members of the gang of 12 could perhaps have been former classmates from the same Catholic high school.
According to a police source speaking with Philly mag, charges for the crime took so long because police “don’t have time” to investigate these kind of crimes:
“I’ve heard plenty of people saying that we shouldn’t even be handling this case, because it’s a simple assault, since we don’t have the hate crime laws like that. They got punched in the face and beat up. That’s not something we’re handling normally. If [you] got punched in the face, it’s simple assault. You would fill out a private criminal complaint. We have a pretty strict policy here of what’s aggravated and simple. Guy gets punched in the face and gets a tooth knocked out, simple assault, a private criminal complaint. If we had to handle every single fight involving black eyes and knocked-out teeth, we wouldn’t have time to do everything else. Unless he was hit with a pipe or a weapon, we’re pretty lax when it comes to aggravated over simple assault.”
Earlier today, out Senator Jim Ferlo, Senator Larry Farnese, and out Rep. Brian Sims spoke in the capitol about strengthening the state’s hate crime law and expanding it to include the LGBT community. There’s a million of us in this state and we deserve the same rights and the same protections as everybody else,” Sims said.
Though arrest warrants have been issued for 24-year-old Philip Williams, 26-year-old Kevin Harrigan, and 24-year-old Katherine Knott, arrests have yet to be made. It has been speculated that the assailants would seek a self-defense claim if charged — stay tuned for more updates.
Cam
What about the phone etc… that they stole? They aren’t being charged with theft?
What about the fact that there were 5 other people attacking this couple?
If it was a “Conspiracy” then why aren’t the other members of the group being charged with it?
Paco
Sad that getting your face broken so badly your jaw has to be wired shut, is considered a simple assault. Not surprised by this. Every time a gay man is bashed for being gay, the assailants always seem to get off easily. The entire group that stood there and watched should have been charged.
Cam
@Paco:
They’ll get off with community service, or the judge will believe them that two gay guys attacked a group of over ten people.
And if they use self defense as a strategy, then how again will they explain stealing the guys phones etc…
Ogre Magi
Don’t it figure that they all went to Catholic school
deltabadhand
About the bag, according to the local papers, one of the female gang members said she took it thinking it belonged to one of her friends. Then threw it into an alley when she realized it wasn’t. Homeless person took it and used the credit cards.
blackberry finn
If 5 others were in on it, their names, at least, should be disclosed.
Lvng1tor
They are going with the ones they are more certain they can win. Probably giving immunity to others for testimony and throwing the ones out they have no chance of winning. It’s a focused attack. It’s too high profile to spread their attn and go after lesser (read: crimes that could sway an ignorant str8 mass of people against the gay mafia unfairly attacking white middle class victims) I don’t like it any more than most of you but it’s the best way to get a conviction in this case. Can’t wait for all of the other peoples names to become public thru the actual trial process. I just moved from Philly after 12yrs last DEC it’s always the Bridge and Burb crowd that starts this crap.
alterego1980
@Lvng1tor: How dare you generalize Philly like that. For someone who claims to have spent so much time there, you speak total ignorance. Not only that, your comment is lifted right out of one of the comments in Philly Mag so you are either a plagiarizer or the same idiot commenting on every article you can click on. Please do everyone a favor and stop embarrassing yourself.
Lvng1tor
@alterego1980: Sorry I forgot south Philly trash. I have my opinion you have yours based on what I assume is your time there as well. I did not read the article and you can take the stick out of your pompous a&&. BTW, I post my pic and my link to my instagram as are all my posts on any website. I don’t hide like some lil anon b!tch with an alter EGO! So stop with your mean spirited ignorant rant and kiss my a&& little man
jimontp
Why isn’t the US AG Holder taking up this case? Charging 3 people out the 12 attackers is ridiculous. You only need a couple to turn evidence against the others. Charging only 3 in this brutal bashing case is disgusting. If they were 2 Jews, 2 Blacks or 2 Asians attacked by a mob of Catholics, there would be a lot more charges. Just another reminder that gays are NOT treated equally in Philly or probably most of the US. It’s the sad reality guys. Publish the names of all involved. It should insure that none of them ever get a job without explaining their roles. PUBLISH THEIR NAMES.
jimontp
@alterego1980: So your only complaint is that he “generalized Philly?”
It was a brutal bashing in Philly.
And the police know which 12 people were involved.
And the police only charge 3??????
WTF?
And YOU ARE DEFENDING PHILLY?
WTF is your problem in understanding gay bashing?
Merv
The fact that they don’t usually even bother investigating incidents like this is another consequence of the drug war. Victimless drug prosecutions are very profitable. They get direct incentives from the federal government, and they get to confiscate lots of money and property. Plus, they’re easy. Find drugs on someone, and you’re done. Investigating and prosecuting somebody for smashing someone else’s face requires time and effort. They probably don’t spend any resources on burglaries, muggings, bike and car thefts, car prowling, either. You know, the kinds of crimes people actually care about.
Mack
Sounds like the Philly Police Department is lazy. I guess they only want to do drug crimes or hold ups. And Police Departments wonders why people dislike cops. Between Philly and Ferguson I think the problem is them.
Jonathan26
Why are the others not being charged? I’m reminded of the cheering crowd in “The Accused” that was, in real life, prosecuted. So what gives?
Gothrykke
@jimontp: The problem is that the AG doesn’t really care about these cases. It’s none of his business, as he sees it. The DOJ isn’t in the business of prosecuting anyone who they aren’t being paid to prosecute. Destroy the world economy, shoot an unarmed black kid in the back, beat a couple queers, that’s not in their purview anymore. Look at how they are handling Ferguson. They are actually doing everything they can to help the all-white town leaders avoid facing the environment they’ve created, even going so far as to help prosecute any media that isn’t in bed with them. Hell, they’ve coordinated the rise of the militarized police forces, as is evidence with the occupy movement response. It’s all about the ‘special interests’ now.
All you need to know about the DOJ: A man tried to help AT&T by pointing out a flaw in their communications system, and last I heard they were still trying to send him to jail for a decade for pointing this out on a public system. He only did it there because they wouldn’t respond to him privately.
Saint Law
“police don’t have time to investigate these kind of crimes.”
American policing and criminal justice system must be the worst in the developed world. Why do yanks put up with it?
o.codone
@Ogre Magi:
Orge Magi said: “Don’t it figure that they all went to Catholic school”
This guy should be shut down for his hate speech against Catholics. Let’s try “don’t it figure that they were all blacks”, or maybe “don’t it figure that they were all sp*icks”, or God forbid “don’t if figure they were all Muslims”. Queerty would shut him down in a second, rightly so. Blanket, discriminatory, contempt-filled remarks against Catholics are unacceptable, no matter what bias he may have against the faith. So, let’s see this guy straighten-up his act or I for one will [email protected] to stop any more of this guys offensive speech.
Cam
@o.codone:
Actually the fact that the church specifically in recent years has spoken out against gays, and supported financial groups designed to take rights away from gays makes his statement valid.
But nice try trying to deflect from the actual topic of this post which was “A large group of CAtholic School alum brutally cornered and attacked a gay couple”.
David
@o.codone: I agree with Cam. The Catholic Church through its leaders and tacitly supported by all of its followers bash gay people all of the time. It is incredibly relevant that they mention that they all attended Catholic school since the Catholic Church is known, and is proud of its ridiculous antigay teaching.
I mean, you can buy a divorce (annulment) but nothing is quite as bad as being a practicing or virtuoso homosexual. The shoe totally fits.
I personally don’t buy all of this talk, either, about I’m Catholic but I disagree with the teachings. Well that means you’re not really Catholic or you’re lying.
Daniepwils
@o.codone: Yeah because the Catholic church doesn’t use Blanket, discriminatory, contempt-filled remarks against gays now does it…
Cat meet kettle!
o.codone
(see 3 smackdown comments above). what your smackdown shows me is that gays can be the most severely anti-Catholic haters on the planet. I don’t know why you get away with anti-catholic hate speech on Queerty and not get deleted. clearly you hate catholics, but do you also hate islam because one guy cuts the heads off of journalists in the desert? if so, you guys are advised take a few more things into consideration. islam is not just about jihad. so don’t hate muslims because of these few incidents. same is true for catholics, don’t hate me because the church says some things you don’t like. and, i’m not jumping to unwarranted conclusions, it is apparent that you do hate me for being a catholic. makes me feel all warm inside knowing that my brothers, the only family I have, hate me because of my religious beliefs.
wag more, bark less fellas, because there are a few of us out here who are embarrassed for you for expressing your hatred. you diminish yourselves wearing that hatred in public. and right now the gay community is not in need of haters, there are plenty of those on the other side. take it elsewhere. try to embrace, as difficult as that may be.
Saint Law
I’ve no time for the various sects of Christianity or, indeed, any organised religion but it is evident to me that Catholicism is more than the clergy, and that to make the assumption: Catholic=homophobe is often to be mistaken.
Never more so than in America where the majority of Catholics support gay marriage.
David
@o.codone:”Don’t it figure that they all went to Catholic school really doesn’t sound too much like “hate” speech to me in the grand scheme of things. And no one said that they hated you at all.
I grew up in Catholic school and was physically and psychologically severely abused. I happen to really, really despise the Catholic Church. I am an adult. I get to do that. You’re kind of making stuff up.
I still don’t understand how people who don’t believe in what a church represents belong to it. And being against the Catholic Church is NO different than their “hate the sin love the sinner” motto.
I do not have any Catholic for being Catholic, but I despise them as an institution and probably always will.
o.codone
@David: Islam hates you for being gay. Do you hate Islam as an institution the way you hate the Catholic church? Or, perhaps you haven’t gotten to that yet. Believe me, Islam is looking for you, for us. That frightens me more than the Pope’s impotent proclamations, at least the Pope isn’t going to try to cut our heads off.
David
@o.codone: I certainly can see the point you’re trying to make. I guess the difference is that Islam has not affected my life as a gay person in a personal way. The Catholic Church and its agents are responsible for filling my childhood with unconscionable fear, self-hatred and black and white judgment. Their evil and unholy teachings were used on me like a club when I was too young to be able to discern. So now it’s all kumbaya with the cool Catholics that disagree with and don’t believe their leaders, but I still have the memories and the damage on physical, spiritual and emotional levels. We’re going to continue to disagree on this. Know that I don’t hate anyone just because they are Catholic. I wouldn’t have a family left. But, as a Catholic, be prepared to get some flak for their crazy-ass, hateful and inhumane bullshit.
o.codone
@David: David, Islam is coming our way. It will affect your life as a gay person in America, probably sooner than either of us expect. Thank you for your thoughtful replies.
lcandela123
I looked up “private criminal complaint”, which means that if you are the victim of a simple assault, the police do very little for you. The onus is on you to do a shitload of work to get the DA to take any action against your assailant. Seems like the victim gets victimized a second time. Not surprising many people don’t “press charges”.
And what would be the final result of all of your work? A simple fine against the assailant. And, you don’t even get that money.
So might makes right when it comes to fag bashing. As long as some big lout doesn’t use a weapon, he can beat the shit out of you with impunity. (Unless the victim is related to a police officer, and then magically the power of the law appears.)
Here is the link: http://www.lyco.org/Portals/1/DA/Documents/pc%20information.pdf